I'm falling apart here!

Please see a doctor about your back, and you should see someone about your depression. Those are things we probably can't help you with, although there are lots of people on here who are very knowledgeable about mindless eating or binge eating. Try searching the forums, and you'll find a lot of good information about how to control your eating.

You don't need to exercise at all to lose weight, although it helps. Just walking is the best place to start, although you may or may not be able to, depending on what's going on with your back.

Start here: plug your current stats into MFP and see what it gives you. You can tell it you want to lose 2 pounds a week. If you just eat the goal it gives you, without changing anything else -- no exercise, no changes to the types of food you're eating -- you will start to lose weight.

When I first started I hurt all the time, in my back, my legs and my hips. It was because I was not used to moving. It was only bad enough to take advil a couple of times, the rest of the time I didn't take anything. It was, literally, a painful reminder of what I had done to myself. After a little while it went away.

I have to get back into it. I've spent the last year fighting bad depression and other traumatic circumstances. Because of that, I gained back 40 of the 70 lbs I lost. I am struggling to fight my stupid evil self that insists on force-feeding me all the time.

Forgive yourself. Accept that you are human and have this challenge to face. Celebrate that you got on here to get help. Forget the number of lbs you think you weigh. Start with something small, an 'easy' change. Could be something as easy as parking farther away at the grocery store (assuming your dr clears you regarding any injuries you have). It might be one step forward, two steps back, but as long as we keep moving forward it will happen. Let it cascade naturally from there. That's how I did it the first time, and how I intend to get back to the road I want to be on.

We can do this

Hey, you look fab in your photo - wish I was in my early twenties again! My daughter is roughly the same age as you and she's also prone to putting on weight; make sure you get some support from members on this site who are at the same stage of life as yourself, because they can best understand how you're feeling and the challenges you face (cheese pizza anyone?). Great that you've come on here and made a start - take baby steps, get those stats keyed in and make this the first day of your new life. And know this - at 23 you have all your life ahead of you and every reason in the world to look after yourself. Someone said in a post that you've got to really reach the bottom before you start looking for the way up, and it sounds like you're there, so take whatever help you can get from here, from family, friends, your doctor, enlist a whole army behind you to help you succeed. Everyone is behind you, everyone will cheer you on - but you've gotta make that first step. Good luck and god bless.

Hi there,

Alice has some very wise words and some wonderful tips, and guides for you......

I am so sorry to hear that your feeling so down and in pain, take heart that often we humans need the impact of hitting an all time low to start the journey forward and up out of the pit that we find ourselves in.

Mentally though.....negative self talk is damaging. I believe that assessing the situation with clear honesty and not hiding behind excuses without the need to condemn yourself a better more life enhancing option.

You are so young, that makes the chance to change all that more doable and worthwhile. Believe me the older you getter weight loss and regaining control over out of control eating behaviours and the opportunity to build a healthy, strong body become all the harder.

Please do get yourself checked out medically for the pain. I would also encourage you to seek help and support with your eating behaviours and any the overwhelming depression you speak of needn't be faced alone. Maybe if you aren't supported properly the 'out of control' eating is your way of "self medicating" to soothe your depression.....there are so many other options and I am sure you are not alone in this struggle.

You have been very very courageous by posting this......keep up with that get help and then you will feel more able to tackle coming and using MFP to help shed the weight. Surround yourself with support IRL and on here, there are alot of incredible success stories of others with more weight to lose that started their journey a similar dark place as you and they are inspirational, it can be done, and you are definitely worth it.

Take care and all the best.